Histoire Épistémologie Langage

Universal language schemes in 17th-century Britain

David Cram

Résumé
Resumé: Au dix-septième siècle en Grande Bretagne, la construction d'une langue universelle sur des principes philosophiques
était davantage perçue comme une tâche empirique et pratique que comme une entreprise théorique.
Le mouvement se développa' entre environ 1650 et 1680, puis déclina. Cet article présente un · rapide examen, des' études que
ce domaine a récemment inspirées, en cherchant à mettre en reliefle contexte intellectuel qui a favorisé la croissance et le
déclin de l'intérêt pour les projets de langue universelle.

Abstract
ABSTRACT,: In seventeenth-century Britain the idea ofconstructing a universal language on philosophical principles was
conceived asessentially a practical and empirical undertaking rather than a speculative one. The movement flourished between
c. 1650 and 1680 and went into decline thereafter. The present paper offers abrief survey of the corpus of scholarly discussion
this period has recently attracted,, attempting to focus on the broader intel1ectual factors influencing the rise and decline of
interest in universal language schemes.

Citer ce document / Cite this document :

Cram David. Universal language schemes in 17th-century Britain. In: Histoire Épistémologie Langage, tome 7, fascicule 2,
1985. La réflexion linguistique en Grande-Bretagne — 17e-18e siècles. pp. 35-44;

doi : 10.3406/hel.1985.1313

http://www.persee.fr/doc/hel_0750-8069_1985_num_7_2_1313

Document généré le 15/06/2016

Histoire Epistémologie Langage VII-
2 ( 1985) 35

UNIVERSAL LANGUA(;E SCHEMES IN

SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY BRITAIN

DavidCRAM

ABSTRACT,
andempirical
flourished
present
period
factors
schemes.has
paper
influencing
between
recently
on
: Inseventeenth-
offers
undertaking
phllosophical
c.
attracted,
the
abrief
1650
rise rather
and
survey
cprinciples
,entury
and
attempting
1680
decline
than
ofBritain
and
the
was
atoof
corpus
conceived
went
speculative
focus
the
interest
idea
into
of scholarly
on ofconstructing
asessentially
the
·decline
inone.
broader
universal
The
thereafter~
discussion
intel1ectual
movement
a language
a universallanguage
practicalThe
this

dSUM2 : ' Au dix-septième siècle en Grande Bretagne, la construction'' d''une

langue
Le
article
comme
mouvement
présente
universelle
une tâchese
unempirique
·sur
développa''
rapide
des examen
principes
etentre
pratique
,des''
environ
philosophiques
études
que 1650
comme
que etceune
1680,
était
domaine
entreprise
davantage
puis a déclina.
récemment
théorique.
perçue
Cet

inspirées,
la croissance
en et
cherchant
le déclin àdemettre
l''intérêt
en pour
reliefle
les projets
contextedeintellectuel
langue universelle.
qui a favorisé

1. Introduction

seventeenth''~
The quest entury
for a Britain
universallanguage
resulted in or
a number
philosophicallanguage
of quite detailed
in

proposaIs reaching print, including projects by the Ipswich ' schooImaster

Cave Beek (I6~ 7), bythe Dutch merchant Francis Lodwick
 36 Universallanguage schemes

(1647) and by the entrepreneur and translator of Rabelais Sir

' standing
reach
Ward,
context
Thoma~
principles
not
were publish
kept
print
forof,
Urquart
interest
example,
informed
were
aas
anything
treatise
fullyworked-
(1652).
nevertheless
in outlined
ofthe
further,
on
the
There
topic.
university
progress
ohis
ut
even
disseminated
were
Those
ideas
proposais,
though
ofreform
other
on
similar
working
universal
schemes
he
but
(Ward
and
projects,
maintained
whose
ondiscussed.
language
1654)
which
such
both
underlying
schemes
but
did
awithin
in
long-
Seth
not
the
did

centering
Britain and
on on
Samuel
the Continent,
Hartlib. by the network of correspondence

aSociety,
in
of
from
testimony
Wilkins''
his
William
appeared.
Dalgamo''s
developed
Royal
Real
different
Oxford
clear
The
Wilkins
Character
Society,
inLloyd,
Essay
and
personal
two
his
Ars
which
collating
scholars
ways,
although
(cf.
ideas
Signorum
most
was
and
under
and
Wilkins
imprint,
Cram
collaborative
with
who
published
technical
although
adetailed
Philosophical
the
whose
1980),
the
(1661)
were
and
he
overall
help
was
he
schemes
others
terminology,
later
under
name
his
projects.
and
subsequently
and
aided
conception
work
Language
to
John
had
the
encouragement
toby
form
Dalgarno
solicited
appeared
auspices
Wilkins''
Alphabetic
be
several
and
the
(1668),
published,
of
became
inthe
nucleus
Essay
on
of
scientific
at
particular
with
work
were
of
the
Dictionary
his
the
' estranged
towards
aGeorge
behalf.
of
outset
group
Royal
both,
royal
bears
specialists
the
by

involved
in
gaining
were
project,
moved
attracting
immense
The
themselves
toinstitutional
Robert
in
idea
play
it,financial
enthusiasm
of
and,
an Boyle
devising
interested
unconvinced
as blessing.
support
a being
measure
and
a role
universal
commitment
afrom
of
Equally
in
prime
ofits
the
its
alanguage
discussion
variety
wider
example,
practical
important,
amongst
appeal,
ofwas
patrons
and
feasibility
were
one
development.
was
those
scholars
nevertheless
that
and
successful
actively
generated
of
also
who
the
in

language
In discussion,
recent
schemesyears
has
ranging
the
giventopic
from
tise of
toscholarly
aseventeenth-
large corpus
individual
century
of historiographical
studies
universal to
 Universallanguage schemes 37

synoptic book-length treatments, and including a quantity of

derivative and uninformedwork. In what follows 1 shallnot attempt

a general
points
and
universallanguage
posed
«famous
but
importance
why,
in the
indicate
inseparable.
necessary.
in
project
by
of
light
thought
failure
survey,
agreement
Sidone
and
avenues
of
decline
The
»this
?Why
interest,
but
has
movement
Clauss
This
general
intellectual
so
where
endeavour
and
been
was
abruptly
question
for
(controversy
1982):
the
usefully
further
problem
in
the
the
project
only
ferment
in
' few
has
Why
broader
the
investigation
. encapsulated
in
to
two
decades
in
1680''
identify
was
assessing
felt
itfacets
historical
context
stimulated,
Wilkins''
to
s?ofbe
sorne
which
is
its
the
in
of
both
of
interpretation,
hey-
Essay
the
place
such
of
seventeenthcentury
did
are
warranted
d
the
ay?
question
distinct
interest
central
such
of
major
And
thea

2. The Rise of the Universal Language Movement

in
start
fairly
together
broadsheets,
preparation).
Britain,
schemes
discussions
by
282-the
Vivian
2The
84)
of
written
1650''
detailed
asfrom
by
collaborative
and
universal
ahas
Salmon
s.practical
letters
Beck
This
by
the
in
narrative
been
unpublished
contemporaries
(and
decade
rich
collected
and
language
undertaking
established
discussions
Lodwick,
but,
diaries.
ofsaw
fragmentary
the
in
movement
the
tracts
Salmon
St9cktaking
as
progress
rather
and
publication
amongst
can
a by
result
more
be
than
1979),
gathered
documentary
Dalgarno
and
found
the
of
surveys
importantly
asof
direction
aaOxford
Gedankenübung,
the
series
narrative
in
momentum
(see
of
rudimentary
Plot
· sources
of
the
Cram,
circle.
of
saw
studies
(1677:
pieced
movement
these
the
of
in
in
A

More programmatic ideas about universal language ' had of

course
group
the
The
was not
desiderata
ideas
name
asbeen
the
the
of
most
only
thinker
Descartes
«in
offrequently
the
philiosopher
learning
who
air
and»»
had
for
Mersenne
and
was«to
several
counted
explicitly
that
give on
of
an
decades
aFrancis
the
impulse
universallanguage
invoked
topic
before
Bacon.
to
were
by
the the
the
also
endeavour.
But Oxford
1650''
known
among
Bacon s.
38 Universallanguage schemes

amongst the Oxford group, as were · those of the educational reformer

Comenius who visited England in 1641- 42.

particular,
universal
(cf.
elucidate
my
language
individual
focus
fertility
The
in
from
historiography
at
of
the
intellectual.
more
linguistic
planners
individual
for
motivating
more
relative
level
DeMott
personal
essentially
ideas
One
whom
not
the
than
of
planners
major
important
language
this
of
approach
of
and
thinkers.
so
environment.
themselves
importance
British
the
detail
1958).
their
the
one
Bacon,
view,
influences
much
matter.
force
of
the
collaborative
area
intellectual
historical
level,
ais
than
work
possible
during
language
figure
that
of
and
An
on
period
It
for
not
It
as
scholarly
may
of
and
those
·may
the
in
alternative
example,
derived
the
can
focusses
the
best
in
these
his
protagonists''
pointing
circulation
the
of
be
seminal
ground
as
symbolic
venture
however
give
planners.
intellectual
of
' understood
English
far
this
that
level
severaI
disagreement
Mersenne
its
on
aas
were
sort
the
philosophical
broad-
rather
further
into
he
comprising
ideas
as
the
figurehead
of
aIso
visit,
thinkers
The
general
was
clearly
own
it
can
awhich
climate
degree
b
in
or
themselves
different
manuscript
be
was
rush
held
role
archivaI
remain
thus
perceptions
has
terms
Comenius,
argued,
direction
far
both
perceived
established
up
of
those
approach
been
of
of
legitimacy.
which
be
less
the
by
of
Comenius
picture
controversial
research
influence
in
approached
but
in
and
treatise
the
movement
aproviding
seeds
influential
of
but
assessing
historiographical
fostered
ofby
language
on
enquiry
this
would
chains
from
he
their
fel!.
The
will
the
on
of
in
is

on
graduaI
work
translation
about
development,
element
by
andage
ainfluences,
Aarsleff
Aprior
towards
teaching
shorthand,
second
in
outgrowth
mechanism
the
' logical
(1976)
were
arise
area
but
methods,
philosophical
aof
analysis
on
.of
of
appears
identified
specifically
universal
such
the
controversy
earlier
and
basis
as
of
to by
language
Beck''s
work
things
language
be
soof
British
Salmon
vindicated
on.
concerns
his
on
scheme
toown
(i.
Thus,
schemes.
shorthand,
rather"
e.
he''
as anot
assessment
represented)
by
the
but
pivotaI
forthe
than
just
aextent
This
example,
langu~
account
cyphers,
contributory
an
Continental
was
of
to
ancilliary
ge
was
queried
sources
which
based
in
ideas
langU.
the
an
 Universal language schemes 39

.autobiographical treatise by Dalgamo (cf. Cram 1980) which

came to light after this exchange.

The detailed reconstruction of the stages of development of

universal language schemes will doubtless add to our understanding
of the periode Howerer" here again the question of the «level of

must
lens
delicacy
movement
and
to
that,
the
the
for
for
ask
including
new
»tise
linguistic
awhy
in
served
discrete
empirical
ofhistoriography
it
the
the
speculation
was
tohistorical
vernaculars,
focus
sciences,
refonn
the universal
a and
wide
of
period,
poses
and
the
prose
planning.
so
spectrum
need
itself.
language
on.style,
served
The
for
·The
of
asterminologies
broad-
the
project
linguistic
a universal
uriifying
decline
brush
in preoccupations,
particualar
approach
focussing
language
of
adapted
Latin

3. The''Reception of Universal Language Schemes

While the internaI details of the various universal language

schemes · have an understandable fascination in their own right
(one which has led Schumaker to include anoutline of Dalgarno''s

scheme
historical
the
factors
widespread
inventors
of in
made
their
interest.
adiscussion
volume
to
universal
reception
gain
What
entitled
and
patronage
were
language
by
debate?
contemporaries
Renaissance
the intel1ectual
and
schemes
institutional
Curiosa,
the
factorswhich
is an
subject
1982)
issue for
support?
the
ofenabled
wider
question
What
more

a mercenary
as
scale
being
As
equivalent
far
a potential
as one.
patronage
to the
Theadvance
invention
universal
is concerned,
inofthe
language
printing
control
one in
factor
projectwas
theprevious
of information
was undoubtedly
perceived
century,
on a

to the
use introduction
a comparisonofexplicitly
computerdrawn
processing
by Dalgamo,
in the present
or equivalent
century.

As such
and
factors
money.
governing
it ~ was
But there
seen
the reception
as
arebeing
otherof
aless
the
sound
obvious
projects.
investment
and morefor
fundamental
both time

the feasibility
First1y, there
"of devising
is the religious
a philosophically
background.
«ideal
Speculation
» languageabout
was
40 · Universallanguage schemes

inevitably and inextricably interwoven with theological issues

concerning
features
those
such
of
task
relating
Babel
At
the
to be
Adam
reversing.
the
schemes
they
as
expected
of
would
who
same
Beck''s.
to
which
Dalgarno
before
were
scriptural
the
viewed
the
on
time,
be
before
distinguishes
origin
To
undertaking
the
the
curse
one
devise
this
and
them
part
Fall.
intimations
the''Millenium.
and
of
of
religious
Wilkins,
of
athe
as
diversity
For
Babel
truly
philosophicallanguages
took
certain
the
signs
the
work
link
philosophical
from
and
that
on
enthusiasts,
of
divines,
ushering
an
trlggered
reconstructing
alanguage.
of
non-
eschatalogical
reversaI
the
pas
hilosophical
Anti-
the
language
this
antagonism
isThis
of
reported
·second
Cmeant
proper,
the
hrist,
isthe
significance
one
scourge
amounted
language
schemes
that
coming.
likewise
by
such
toward
of Dalgarno,
the
of
as

schem''es
is likely
A
thinking.
second
concerns
to be In
profoundly
broader
this
theirconnection
location
factor
affected
underlying
inthe
the
byhistoriography
general
the appearance
thestreams
reception
ofof
of
the
grammatical
Padley''s
of
period
the

work on
(Padley
Latin tradition.
1985),
westernaThe
grammatical
companion
universal volume
thought to.
language in
movement
his
the earlier
vernacular
has
study
deep
tradit10n
ofroots
the

in the Latin
sixteenth
tradition (cf.
century,
Padley
tradition,
but
1985:
and
it Part
also
in II).
particular
belongs centrally
universalingrammar
the vernacular
of the

universal
Fromlanguage
the perspeçtive
movement ofwould
a seventeenth-
arguably have
eentury
been
thinker,
conceived
the

as
language
non-
Latin
the
reason
not
projects,
a project
nature
just
Efull
was
This
potential
uropean
and
it to
planning,
aimplications
and
made
third
vernacular
convenient
of
theeven
languages
constructing
language
thirdgrammatical
grammatical
enthusiasts,
a vocabulary
and
to ones.
of
framework
at
those
could
such
a an
the
time
but
tradition
In
unconvinced
as
be
for
growing
artificial
athe
also
when
most
talking
climate
tradition
within
Amerindian
to
did
grammarians
readily
body
language
those
about
not
which
of
ofemerging
language
of
their
of
uncommitted
articulated.
language
ones
on
speculation
knowledge
course
were
practical
a priori
and
alonside
reform
succeed
absorbing
available
Chinese,
ForprincipIes
to
about
viabilitY.
and
this
thein
 Universal language schemes ,41

establishing itself alongside the other two, · but the crucial point
is that for a fewdecadesit heldevery promise ofdoing so.

4. The Decline of the Universallanguage Movement

In the late 1670''s and early 1680'' s there was a flurry of

in
an
intellectual
presenteda
implementation
to
387).
Dalgano''s
The
theuniversal
empirical
any
idea
ostensible
Essay,
one.
But(Salmon
«worthy
ofthe
offer
The
alanguage
activity
and
·towhich
paper
universal
Royal
practical
reason
of
found
practical
1979:
undertaker
his
to
Society
directed
schemes
for
own
no
end
language
the
191-
experiment
this
undertaking
takers,
»ascheme,
2
Oxford
committee
06).
toward
change
Royal
willing
seems
was
Around
and
was
Philosophical
pursued
offering
to
Society
is
to
revising
within
rather
tried,
have
failed
simple
continue
this
dwindled
first
than
and
committee
to
ato
enough.
and
time
few
hand
produce
itand
merely
Society
it
failed
too,
applying
years
(Birch
on
foremost
to
In..
was
Dalgarno
abis
nothing.
ainterest
Britain,
on
report,
speculative
1756:
work
established
Wilkins'
theas'

aSlaughter
of
line
argument
thinking,
whole
systems
A rather
of transmission
is
monuments
(1982)
is considered
of
that
different
classification
places
theyfrom
marking
from
constitute
story
universal
Greek
aand
however
broader
the,
language
taxonomy
aphilosophy.
end
last
can
perspective.
of
flowering
be
schemes
an deriving
told
era
Theif(much
of
in
thrust
The
the
the
Aristotelian
"in period
work
aas
context
ofdirect
great
her
by
as

epics
'demise
priori
much
on
movement
about
Land
but which
one
with
epistemology.
mark
logical
(1974)
the
language
of
symptom
· the
the
edifice
itis
theanalysis
was
has
lexical
universal
symptomatic
at
end
argued
itself
built.
the
of
Philosophical
ofsign
a the
of
tum
which
morè
lanIDIage
Along
that
things
and
of
eras
of
general
the
towards
caved
lines
athey
toinovement
demise
century,
languages
fundamental
be
in
which
shift
celebrate).
arepresented:
but
concern
of
away
away
rather
are
the
iswere
to
universal
not
from
shift
from
Inthe
forbefounde~
this
it
unconnected,
propositional
aconstrued
an
foundations
in
was
preoccupation
light,
Aristotetian,
language
thinking
not
anathe
so
as

semantics.
42 Univemallanguage schemes

There is. another broader perspective on the period which 1

believe
why
had,
incompatible
philosophical
linguistic
is
shorthand
noted
as
separation
contain
own
largely
avowed
of
the
theory
unconsidered
the
such
that
Wilkins
Essay
bis
isitself
right.
above,
spectrum.
English
and
it
overlooked
athat
does
the
purpose
own
isrange
preoccupations.
were
of
contains
who
Two
and
related
as
worth
.in
goals
detailed
the
served
language).
not
these
scheme
language.
an
discussions
diametrically
of
are
Lloyd
examples
The
of
language
arepresent
aspects
emphasising.
(and
material
as
individual
not
important
as
priori
documenting
reason
discussions
did
constituting
in
the
concerned
A
specifically
Universal
The
the
of
must
recent
not
of
classification
focussing
planners
which
a syntax
opposed
the
why
cul-
preoccupations
history
decline
sections
catch
Dalgarno''s
suffice.
topic
study
d
is
of
language
with
the
e-
this
that
also
which
swere
of
point
ac
on,
universal
to
of
(cf.
in
potential
by
importance
artificial
dealing
Since
of
perspective
the
athose
lexicography.
any
interest
Cram
pursuing
Dolezal
have
frrmly
for
descriptive
thought,
schemes,
concepts,
principles
into
Wilkins''
better
aunderlying
language
with
hitherto
forthcoming).
languages
interest
diverse
held
in
(1985)
a and
multiple
is
but
newly
the
punctuation
than
as
itunderlying
Essay
view
dictionary
important
Similarly,
influence
remained
has
we
to
range
rather
schemes
projects
in
has
aothers
structured
historiographers
as
truly
have
their
been
and
presents
the
toa
of

5. Conclusion

universal
has
historians
of.
indigestible
is
they
all
despite
not
sorts,
the
of
been
In
constitute
distorted
always
general
the
focussing
projects
language
to
they
of
voluminous
and
commend
linguistics
easy
many
perspective.
are
off-
general
.themselves.
on
movement
to
aputting
rich
matters
the
see
secondary
the
who
frameworks
the
broader
mine
My
reading
period
The
1of
are
wood
have
purpose
of
literature
detail
not
published
intellectual
as
for
ideas
doubtless,
for
worthy
concerned
while
the
in
the
Iinguistic
not
which
taking
non-
treatises
trees.
oversimplifying
of
yet
framework
inehas
nthusiast,
serious
with
this
this
But
speculations
fully
accmed.
often
double
in
brief
the
explored,
' study
asof
details
and
far
make
overview,
matters
risk
the
to
of
"it
as
 Universallanguage schemes 43

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